The challenge of regulating courier firms

Onus to reduce waste

The treatment or proper disposal of packaging waste is the shared responsibility of both consumers and producers. Since courier service companies more often than not use excessive packaging to prevent damage to the goods being delivered, the authorities should identify them as the main generators of waste and accordingly fix the responsibilities of the express delivery companies and the producers of such materials.

A detail plan has to be devised to ensure packaging waste is properly disposed of or recycled, operating procedures are standardized, and excessive and environmentally harmful packaging materials are not used. And the major part of resulting increase in the cost of delivery should be shared by consumers.

Besides, economic subsidies to promote environmentally friendly packaging, combined with policies like setting the upper limit for the product-package volume ratio, could accelerate the process of reducing waste.

The environmental impact of packaging waste will be much less if it ends up at treatment facilities, like incinerators or landfills.

A mechanism urgently needed to settle disputes

The separation of government functions from enterprise management in the postal system in 2006 and the revised Postal Law, which took effect on Oct 1, 2009, boosted the express delivery industry. But the reform also gave rise to some problems. How to settle disputes in the absence of a settlement mechanism is one of them.

There have been reports of employees stealing parcels or part of the goods in them. Since too many workers are involved in the receiving, sorting and delivery of packages, it is very difficult to identify the culprits. With more and more Chinese using online platforms to buy goods, these problems matter.

Last year, China Consumers Association received many complaints about deliveries and loss of goods.

Hence, there is an urgent need to set up a comprehensive dispute-settlement mechanism that will define the major types of disputes, have a multi-layered complaint platform, set up a double-track system of insurance for mail that covers both value and risks, and build a clear legal responsibility system, so as to clarify each party's accountability.

Enactment of rules to regulate the express delivery service sector has already been included in this year's legislation working plan. I suggest the inclusion of compensation for damage to and loss of parcels, as well as punitive measures for those who violate the regulations.

Besides, the administrative departments ought to act fast after discovering that an offense has been committed and hand over the case to the judiciary instead of trying to solve cases on their own.